Delicate Nameless
by danceDANCEdance
Summary: Hiei's jagan stops working...why? Could it be Kurama's fault and if it is, why doesn't he want to help? (Complete!) SHOUNEN-AI!
1. Chapter 1

**Delicate Nameless**

By: Keph

**Author's Note #1**: _WARNING! Contains a load of **shounen-ai**, bordering on **yaoi**. Don't like, don't read!_

**Author's Note #2**: _This story takes place after my other two: "The Waiting Time" and "Do Tell". You can read them by clicking on my name (danceDANCEdance) at the top of the screen. Basically, though, it goes that Kurama unsealed Hiei's jagan at one point by using his blood, youko blood, a highly addictive substance to demons. Later, as Kurama struggles with hiding what he really is from his mother, Hiei's addiction to said blood grows. But, is it just the blood that holds Hiei to Kurama?_

**Author's Note #3**: _As you may tell from the title, this story contains: **melodrama**. Beware._

**Author's Note #4**: _This story takes place (relative to the anime) right before we discover Yukina has been kidnapped; a few months after Maze Castle._

**Author's Note #5**: _I own five pairs of shoes and I own my car, but I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Gomen._

**Author's Note #6**_: Thank you **sooooo **much to everyone whose reviewed "Do Tell". You guys are so nice! :) Arigatou! _

_A big shout-out to: _

_Ko-Krama _

_Yoko's Babby_

_Shadowpriestess_

_what2callmyself_

_jusKita_

_Hiei's Gothic Angel_

_DemonicEmber/Hiei'sSweeti_

_Zelia Theb_

_Su da 'mazin bananna eater_

What had changed?

Kurama sat by the window in his room. His eyes were locked on the trees. There was a storm and they bent in strange ways in the wind, ways in which, had the slightest ounce of pressure increased, they would have broken.

What had changed? His mind repelled the question: there had been no rain, now there was.

But that wasn't what he meant.

A few hours ago his mother had knocked on the door, told him good-night and not to study too much.

Kurama smiled.

She hadn't changed at all. He feared she would in the time since she had almost discovered his true nature. His green eyes peered across the distance, but what they saw wasn't what humans saw at all. No, his thoughts repeated. She hadn't changed at all since then. Kurama had Hiei to thank for that. Hiei...

There was a sound at the windows and something stumbled in. Too big to be a bird, dressed from head to toe in black, it fell to the floor and lay there while the curtains billowed in the wind and rain blew into the room.

"Hiei?" Kurama said.

There was no answer.

"Hiei?" he said louder and stood. Hiei (for it was indeed him) said nothing, moved nothing. Kurama could see a pale hand and fingers curled and still.

The little demon stayed motionless. Kurama had gone to his knees and was reaching for him. He touched his hair, soaked, and brushed it from his eyes.

The jagan peered up at him.

Wide and strange, the pupil full and dark.

Kurama gazed into it and felt uneasines which was quickly growing.

What had happened? Hiei had been here the night before and there had been no sign of trouble or danger. At least not the kind that would have him falling into Kurama's room like a broken thing. Hiei had come the night before as he had the previous nights. He would enter and bring his mouth to Kurama's and Kurama would let him, had let him because....

"Hiei?" he whispered now as the Jiganshi stirred. "Hiei? Are you..." he asked as the fire demon raised his head, opened his two red eyes and turned them to Kurama. What Kurama saw there made the hackles on his neck stand up.

For a moment, Hiei just stared at him, studying him. "Hn." he said. "You're here."

"What?" Kurama began, but he was interupted as Hiei leaned closer to him, his eyes intent on Kurama's green human eyes. Kurama brought up his arms to block him, but Hiei brushed them aside. Perhaps Kurama didn't really want to stop him afterall.

As Hiei bridged the distance between them, grabbing a hold of his hair and capturing his lips, Kurama saw the jagan widen, almost like a gasp, only to suddenly close as Kurama opened his mouth.

Something was wrong.

Hiei moaned against Kurama's mouth and pressed harder against him, his hands on his shoulders now, then his chest. Kurama knew something was wrong, knew he should stop this, knew he must stop this...

What had changed, his thoughts asked and not for the first time, Kurama ignored the accussing tone.

He knew very well what had changed, didn't he?

_...to be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

Kurama woke in the morning to find Hiei peering down at him.

"Good morn..." Kurama began and was cut off as the Jiganshi leaned suddenly close to him. "Hiei?" Kurama asked, but instead of answering, Hiei pulled off the bandana he had sometime during the night secured to his third eye. Not understanding, Kurama watched as the jagan rolled open and stared aimlessly. "Hiei?"

"Hn." Hiei said, not moving, the jagan peering left and right as though searching for something. "I can't see you, Fox."

"What?"

Hiei leaned closer. "My jagan can't see you. I can see you. I..." He stopped and pulled away. He kept his face turned away. He spoke through his teeth as though he wanted anything else than to be explaining this to Kurama. "There is something wrong with my jagan. I can't see her at all anymore..."

"Her? You can't find Yukina, you mean...?"

"I mean what I said."

Kurama sighed. "How long has it...?"

Hiei didn't answer, but Kurama, who had stood and come up to him saw the troubled look on his face, the frustrated thinning of his lips.

Kurama reached out toward the eye and touched it. Hiei growled and slapped his hand away, cupping the eye in a hand. "What are you doing, Fox?"

"Perhaps you should talk to Koenma."

"That buffoon." Hiei said, but Kurama knew he must have already thought about him.

"Talk to him, Hiei." Kurama said, then added, because he knew the effect, calculated it, knew it would work, "If nothing else you can ask him about Yukina. Koenma knows much more about the spirit world and the human world than either of us, Hiei."

"Hn." Hiei said and Kurama knew he would do it.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked."What happened last night...why...?"

When Hiei stayed silent, Kurama thought the Jiganshi had ignored the question. He was wrong. "I couldn't see you." he repeated, then added. "I hurried back and I....fell."

"You fell?"

Hiei looked back at his incredulous look with seeming disinterest.

"Go see Koenma, Hiei." Kurama said. "I'll find out what I can here. I'll see the psychic, Genkai...perhaps...." Kurama stopped in the middle of his words.

He couldn't say when he had gone, but Hiei was nowhere in sight.

Kurama sighed.

_...to be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

Kurama came to Genkai's temple after school.

The sun was beginning to set and the sky was all orange and red. He began to climb the long case of stairs that led to the temple. He walked slow. It gave him time to think.

What would he tell the woman? Yusuke had described her as an "old hag", he himself had heard of her as something a little more, but even so, what would she know about jagans? Even so, given the chance that she knew about it, would she help? Kurama let the argument he would use fall into place in his head as he walked up and up and up.

How long had the jagan been malfunctioning? It had been since that day that Hiei had appeared in his room, the day he had asked Kurama what he himself knew about jagans. Kurama's step faltered. Had it been that long?

After that day Hiei had never mentioned it and Kurama, therefore, hadn't thought about it.

Hiei's third eye...if it wasn't working...what did that mean? Even an artificial eye, could it....When Hiei had come into his window the night before, it hadn't been merely the disjointed, broken way he had fallen inside, but also the paleness of his face, the slackness of his jaw and the fever in his eyes....If the jagan didn't work did that mean that Hiei, as well, would be affected?  
He was halfway up the temple stairs. The sun was low now. It was late Fall now and the air was cold. He brought his scarf over his mouth and stuck his hands in his pockets. The human Shuiichi was cold, the demon Kurama was too busy thinking.

How had it been that Kurama hadn't noticed before? There must have been signs, and yes, thinking back, he could discern them, a weakness in Hiei's grip, the strange, long stares the Jiganshi gave him, the way he lingered beneath the moonlight as though feeling his way through an inpregnable darkness.

Kurama should have noticed, would have noticed, except...

He had been too busy to notice, hadn't he?

Whatever they may say about youko blood, as addictive as the substance that ran through his veins may be, Kurama conceded for the first time that perhaps it wasn't only Hiei caught up in the trap.

"Took long enough." a voice said.

Kurama started and the old woman who stood on the top step of the stair smiled with half of her mouth. "You should really pay more attention, demon. Especially when coming to my temple. I eat apparitions like you for breakfast."

"Genkai." Kurama said and bowed.

"Hn." she said. "Get up. Whatever you're here for better be important." Kurama didn't answer and the psychic looked him up and down, sized him up, judged his intentions. She turned her back. "Come on." she said and Kurama fell into step behind her.

"Thank you." he said.

"For what?" she said. "I haven't helped you yet."

_...to be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

Genkai sat and Kurama sat before her.

"Well?" Genkai said at last. "What do you want?"

Kurama's eyebrow raised. He had heard a lot about Genkai. The fact that she would remind him so much of Yuusuke wasn't what he was expecting to be thinking when he first met her.

Kurama sighed. "I need your help." he said.

"Oh?" Genkai answered.

"Yes. That is...I need your help because of a...friend of mine."

"I see. And what is wrong with this "friend" of yours, demon?"

"Kurama." Kurama said gently. "My name is Kurama."

"Is it, now?" Genkai said, but she was smiling genuinly. "I have heard of you. Well. You're not dead."

Kurama shook his head. "No."

"And you're human."

"Yes."

"I see." she said although just what she saw Kurama had no idea.

He cleared his throat and thought of the argument he had decided on the stairs. "What do you know about a jagan?"

"A jagan?" Genkai frowned.

Kurama touched his forehead. "A third eye."

"I know what a jagan is, smart ass."

Kurama paused, taken aback. Yes, he thought, very much so like Yusuke. He had heard that the spirit detective was under this woman's training. He sighed, imagining them working together. "It is an unnatural jagan. He had it placed there."

"So it's not working now, is that it?"

Kurama paused again. This wasn't how his argument was suppose to unfurl. He had to think quickly. "Yes..." he said.

Genkai smiled. "You're a smart one, Kurama. I said I'd heard of you, and I have. Ask me what you want to ask and stop trying to think a step ahead of me. You won't."

"I..." Kurama started, then stopped and laughed softly. "I guess not. So I will get to the point. His jagan is not working. He told me he couldn't see me with it and he was standing...in the same room. And I think it is affecting him in other ways as well."

"Has he injured it?"

"No. I don't believe so."

Genkair rubbed her chin. "I have rarely heard of anyone surviving the transplant process to receive a jagan. Your friend must be very interesting, but why now...." She paused. "A jagan is like an open door to the spirit energy of its bearer. If there is no injury and I don't think jagans just stop working like some cheap used car, I have to say there is something coming between your friend and his energy."

"Like what?" Kurama asked earnestly. Genkai was staring at him. "Genkai?"

"Kurama?" she said. "Youko Kurama?"

"Yes." Kurama said, hardly seeing the relevance of his name in the line of questioning.

Genkai smiled. "And you said he was just a friend, you naughty Fox."

_...to be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

It was night.

Kurama arrived home, set his key on the hanger and went upstairs. He hadn't removed his shoes.

His mother was gone. She wouldn't be back for another night. Business trip.

The house was still.

From outside he heard the trees move in the wind. He heard a truck passing by. He heard on the horizon, a storm.

What had he done?

Genkai's laughter had sobered quick enough. "Do you understand, now, fox?" she had concluded.

He understood.

When Kurama opened the door to his room, he wasn't suprised to see Hiei. He must have been waiting in the tree outside the window. He stared at Kurama hesitating by the door. "What's wrong, fox?" he asked.

Kurama just peered back at him with wide eyes, then turned and closed the door behind him.

"Kurama?" Hiei said.

Genkai had been adament. "Don't you know anything, fox?" she had said.

Had he? Had Kurama known all along and yet he had let things continue? He looked up at Hiei who was crossing the room.

The light wasn't on. It didn't need to be on. Even had the moonlight, now disapearing behind rain-clouds, been completely absent, Kurama could have seen Hiei's face. Those red eyes were narrow enough to be alouf, concerned enough to have changed from a few months ago. Kurama had done that to him. Looking into that worry now, he felt ashamed.

"Hiei..." Kurama began and looked up.

The Jiganshi was a lot closer than he had been moments ago. He had reached out and taken a hold of a strand of Kurama's hair and was turning it over and over in his hands. Kurama tried to pull away and Hiei suddenly reached out and grabbed his chin, brushing their lips together.

"Stop!" Kurama gasped.

Hiei didn't listen. "I went to see Koenma, Kurama." he said as he kissed Kurama's neck. "He told me he knew nothing about jagans." Hiei laughed. "Obviously, he was lying."

"Hiei..." Kurama was trying to push Hiei away, but he couldn't. His mind whispered that he should protect this, his friend, but another part of him, darker and crafty, whispered that this wasn't his friend, this demon before him, _touching _him, was simply his. _His_. His what?

"He knows something." Hiei was saying, his tongue licking Kurama's lips. "I don't need my jagan to be working to know that."

Kurama barely heard him.

"You know the only way to help him, Kurama." Genkai was saying in his mind. "If it isn't too late."

"And if it is?"

"You know what that means, too."

Hiei had wrapped his tongue around Kurama's and Kurama could feel Hiei's teeth pressing, flirting against his tongue and despite himself Kurama gasped. Hiei leaned into him and Kurama lay back until he was supporting the full weight of the fire demon. His breaths were coming too fast. His crafty, clever mind was failing him.

When had things changed?

Why did that thought come through his mind again?

What, he asked himself, had changed?

What, he asked himself, hadn't?

He could feel Hiei's hands on his chest, feel his hips against his own. He was responding to that kiss and on their own violation, his hands were reaching up, brushing against the bare skin of Hiei's arms.

"Stop." he was whispering, fooling no one.

Had he always been this selfish, he wondered, or was this human body, this human soul and mind, the first that had made him realize it? Perhaps that is why he stayed here with his human mother, deceiving her just to feel her love a little longer. Perhaps that was why he was deceiving Hiei. When, he wondered, had he gotten so lonely?

He smiled against Hiei's mouth. That was the human. There. He had isolated the problem. It was simple now. Once confronted, his fear would vanish along with his doubts. Genkai was wrong. It couldn't have been Kurama who had caused the problem with Hiei's jagan. It couldn't have been his kiss, his blood.

But, it was.

Hiei's teeth had been pressing down, Hiei was moaning in his throat. Kurama closed his eyes and with every ounce of will left inside of him pushed Hiei away.

Hiei fell onto the floor with an undignified thud.

"What the hell are you doing, fox?" Hiei growled.

Kurama didn't answer. His breathing was too fast. He lay upon the bed with his hands over his eyes. Such a childish tactic, his mind chided, it isn't true that if you close your eyes the world disapears.

"Kurama?" Hiei whispered from closer and Kurama felt him touch his arm.

Kurama pulled away, but Hiei's grip grew stronger, pulling his hands off of his eyes.

"Kurama. Kurama." Hiei was saying and kissing Kurama's closed eye-lids.

He tried to tell him. Tried to open his mouth and say the words. "It's my fault." Those were easy words. Monosyllables.

He should never have helped the Jiganshi. He should never have unsealed the jagan. He should have told his mother he was a demon. He should have left when he had the chance.

"Hiei..." he whispered and when that mouth sealed over his own, he didn't make a sound because being so smart, he knew when you don't want to tell the truth or a lie, the best thing to do is say nothing at all.

_...to be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

The next day it snowed.

Not right away. It was later in the day. Not right away. It wasn't until Kurama had made his choice.

Again.

He lingered at school that day. He knew that although Hiei might watch him through the windows, he wouldn't enter the school.

Kurama looked up and down the long empty hallway. There was no sound save for him, the sound of his locker opening, the sound of books.

Maybe that's why his thoughts were so loud.

He paused and brought a hand up to his mouth.

"You've been very quiet, today, Minamino." the sensei had said in the last class. "Is something wrong?"

Kurama had smiled.

He really hadn't said much today, had he? He had never even answered his sensei. Maybe he was worried that were he to open his mouth he'd say everything. Wouldn't that be funny? What would the sensei say to that?

Kurama shut the locker and sighed. It didn't matter.

The bell rang and the annoucement sounded. "The school will be locking. Please gather your belongings. We will see you tomorrow." it said.

Kurama looked down the hall.

Now where would he go?

He looked out the window and saw the branches of the tree move. He didn't see Hiei. He closed his eyes. He didn't feel Hiei's youki.

Did that make him feel better?

The answer made him lower his head. No. It didn't. He peered out the window again and wished against all the logic he knew he possessed that he saw the Jiganshi there.

He left the school and that's when the snow began.

It was the early snow-just a drizzle, a fine mist, a preview. Kurama paused outside the school doors and wrapped his scarf around his neck and peered up into it.

He closed his eyes and for a moment, the briefest of seconds, everything went still.

Then the moment was gone.

He held out his hand and caught a snow-flake.

It was just an addiction, his mind was saying. He closed his hand on the snow-flake and opened it. All that remained was water.

Kurama sighed then sat down.

He reached out towards the grass between the cracks of the sidewalk and dropped a seed into it. For a moment, he hesitated. There was another way. There had to be another way. But there wasn't. Was there? Could Genkai have been wrong? Kurama opened his hand and from the seed sprouted a tiny flower.

Delicate as silk, the petals moved in the wake of the movement of his hand. It was a white flower. It wouldn't do anything now. It would just bend in the wind and look pretty. Kurama watched it. Oh, but in the end, this little flower would be his undoing, wouldn't it?

"Is it the only way?" he asked himself. He looked at the flower, but it had no answers for him.

Kurama reached for it and hesitated again.

The snow had started to fall once more.

He reached for the flower again, but couldn't make himself take it in hand.

He stared at his hand, disbelieving.

Abruptly, he stood, shaking, thinking of snow and a girl he had never meant, but knew meant more to Hiei than anything else. Including himself.

Why couldn't he do it? Not even to help Hiei?

"There must be another way!" he whispered to himself.

_...to be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

Kurama had entered the Bureau of the Dead uninterupted.

Perhaps, his mind insisted, he had been wrong to ask Genkai. Perhaps, his mind insisted, Koenma would know.

If nothing else, his mind said, it bought him some time.

Kurama looked up and passed the crowds of demons and oni, of the couple of gods and lost souls wondering the hall, he spotted a familiar balding, blue figure.

"Ogre." Kurama called.

"How's it going?" George, having turned and spotted Kurama, said.

"I'm here to see Koenma."

"He's busy right now, Kurama, he...." George turned away, smiling awkwardly. The toddler-ruler was busy all right. It was prime-time.

"Ogre."

George, surprised, skreeched, rather like a little oni girl. "Y..yes, Kurama?" he stammered. When did Kurama start to sound like Hiei?

"I need to see Koenma."

Goerge hesitated. That lasted as long as it took Kurama to grab him by the throat and pull him close. "Of course, sir." George said. "This way."

Kurama didn't say anything after that, and George wasn't asking, but it was easy to tell something was wrong. Remembering the view through Koenma's little voyeur-vision television on the day that Kurama had gotten Hiei to sign the contract to serve Yusuke as a teammate, George couldn't help but wonder, "Was it love trouble?" He blushed at the thought.

Apparently, Koenma had the same idea. Puckering out his pacifer, the Ruler of the Spirit World said. "Oh, Kurama. Trouble in lover's land, eh? Eh?" When Kurama didn't smile or deny or reach out to kill him, poking fun lost its fun and Koenma was reduced to asking, "Why are you here, Kurama?"

Kurama's face was very serious. Each word and eye was lined up to be perfectly neutral. "It's about Hiei."

Koenma smiled. "Is it?" he said, voice loaded innocence.

Kurama ignored him. "I know he came to see you."

Koenma nodded and his eyes shifted uncomfortably. "Yes. He did. That guy has no manners."

"He asked about his jagan."

"And?"

"Koenma. What do you know about it?"

Koenma raised an eyebrow at the strange note in the fox's voice. "What's wrong, Kurama? You sound almost....guilty."

Kurama said nothing.

The Ruler of the Spirit World leaned forward. "Of course, considering, you would, wouldn't you?" Kurama started. "Yes, I know why Hiei's jagan isn't working, Kurama. I'm surprised you didn't....or did you?" He studied Kurama for a moment. "After seeing your little...tactic to get Hiei to sign the contract, it wasn't too hard to trace the problem back to its root." He paused and motioned and George hit a button. There on the television screen Koenma used to keep an eye on anything and everything, an image came to life. An image of Hiei pressed against a tree and Kurama leaning forward, pushing their mouths together. The room was utterly silent. George the oni was blushing and looking away. Koenma watched Kurama as the fox in turn watched himself.

_"Stop...struggling...Hiei...." Kurama managed as his own mouth pressed the fire demon's._

_"Kurama!" Hiei growled._

_Kurama had just managed to break the flower in Hiei's mouth as those sharp teeth suddenly came down on his tongue and provided the vital ingredient to break the seal._

_Blood._

_The salty taste filled Hiei's mouth and the fire demon gagged, but suddenly Kurama's hand was on his chest then his face. "Calm down...." he whispered and blood fell from the corner of his mouth._

_Then, Hiei swallowed the first mouthful_.

"It was rather clever, actually." Koenma said as Kurama stared at the image. "We wouldn't have removed the seal. Hiei was smart to have you remove it. He was too uncontrollable then."

"And now?" Kurama heard himself asking.

"Now, without his jagan, it doesn't really matter." Koenma sighed. "Of course, it isn't just his jagan, is it? It's his spirit energy. The jagan is the window, the focus, true, but it is also the nexus of his energy. In other words, without the jagan, he will soon be unable to touch that energy. He will, in effect, he powerless. Of course, he'll soon die, as well..."

"No." Kurama said. "No. That can't be true."

Koenma returned his gaze with a look that did not belong to a child. "It is, Kurama."

"What have I done?"

Kurama peered at himself in the image, thinking the voice didn't belong to him. It was too defeated to belong him him. It was too broken to belong to him.

"That would be the question, wouldn't it?" Koenma said suddenly. "Youko blood is poison to a demon. A slow death, although as I understand it, not the worst way to go." When Kurama didn't offer his opinion, Koenma sighed. "And a pity, too. Hiei would have made a perfect addition to the team."

"Don't talk like that." Kurama said. "He is not dead, yet."

"Yet." Koenma repeated and sighed. "But perhaps it is not his death alone that is at stake."

Kurama started. "What do you mean?"

Koenma tapped his fingers on his desk and cocked his head to the side. He was thinking. Something in Kurama's expression must have convinced him because he suddenly called out to George. "Ogre, do the honors, would you?"

"Yes, sir." George said and from the screen that had been playing Kurama and Hiei's little...encounter, now turned to a human. An ugly human.

"This is what I mean." Koenma said and slowly the man on screen moved and there, between a plethora of men in suits armed to the teeth, was a small, green-haired girl who looked sadly at Kurama with hauntingly familiar red eyes.

Kurama took a step toward the screen. "Who is that girl?" he asked.

"Yukina." Koenma said.

"What?" Kurama spun on his heels. "Then who are these men?"

Koenma looked uncomforatble. "Perhaps it is better that Hiei's jagan is not working. Had it, he probably would have killed these men the moment they captured Yukina."

"You haven't told him?"

"Heavens, no!" Koenma looked insulted at the suggestion. "He'd kill everyone. Do you realize how much paperwork that would involve?"

Kurama didn't answer. He was staring at the screen, at the girl who was Hiei's sister.

"Koenma." Kurama said.

"Yes, Kurama?"

"I have a favor to ask."

_...to be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

"Woah. Hiei." Yusuke said as he opened the window to Kuwabara's room.

"Hey. It's the shrimp." Kuwabara said, scowling at said shrimp.

"Hn." Hiei said.

There was a moment of ackward silence and then Yusuke ventured. "Did you come to watch the movie?"

Hiei glanced at the screen. "I do not watch your human filth."

"Yeah," Kuwabara laughed. "Right, shrimp, right."

Hiei bared his teeth. "I _will _kill you."

"Oh, _yeah_?"

"Guys!" Yusuke said, standing between them. "You're really starting to piss me off. Kill each other somewhere else. I want to watch the movie." Hiei turned away. "Hiei?" Yusuke said as Kuwabara went mumbling off, saying that you can't trust anything too short to ride a rollercoaster. "Is something wrong?" Hiei just stared at him. Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Kurama." Hiei said.

"No. I'm Yusuke." Yusuke said. Hiei growled as the Spirit Detective laughed at his own joke. "Sorry, Hiei." His voice got more serious. "What about Kurama?"

"Where is he?"

Yusuke paused, then shrugged."I haven't seen him." Hiei turned away. "Is something wrong, Hiei?"

Without turning, Hiei answered. "I don't know." he said. "But I will find out."

"Do you need help?"

Hiei turned to him and for a moment his eyes were wide enough to mean surprise and his reply wasn't all that sharp and annoyed which meant he was a little touched by the request. "No, human." He jumped to the edge of the window. "Not yet, at least."

He vanished.

"Hey, what did the munchkin want, Uremeshi? Someone to drop a house on him? He he."

"No. I think something's wrong...."

"Wrong? Like what?"

"I don't...." Yusuke began, but never finshed. Both his and Kuwabara's eyes were suddenly fixed on the TV.

"Can a person really do that?" Kuwabara asked.

"Who cares." Yusuke answered, and for the remaining portion of the movie, he didn't remember who Hiei or Kurama were, let alone that they may be in danger.

_... to be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

Without the jagan the city was completley different.

It was quieter, slower.

Hiei himself moved cautiously between the buildings.

He hated this.

Coming to a standstill on the edge of a skyscrapper, Hiei sunk to a crouch. Someone looking up would have thought him a gargoyle poised at the edge of the building. Hiei reached up and pulled the ward from his jagan. It was hard just opening the eye now, but it opened. He closed his two red eyes and concentrated. Slowly, a blurry outline of the city came to view, accented by neon lights and the loudest thoughts of the humans below. Hiei growled in frustration.

What was wrong with him?

Leaning back, Hiei let his legs go under him until he was half-leaning, half-laying against the building.

Ah, but he was tired.

He knew that were he to close his eyes for too long, he'd sleep.

There wasn't time to sleep now.

He couldn't feel Yukina anymore. It had happened slowly. He hadn't even noticed at first. When he sought Yukina through his jagan, the image had started to...flay at the edges, like an old piece of paper slowly rotting. Then, when the image was gone and he couldn't see her face anymore, the sound of her faded, and now, he couldn't sense her. It was like she had suddenly vanished off the face of the earth.

It was temporary.

Jagans do not just break.

But Yukina...he peered across the distance of the city and the distance in his memory. About her he had a bad feeling.

Something was wrong.

"Yukina..." he whispered.

But it wasn't just Yukina. Now Kurama was no where to be found. Hiei frowned. He had fallen asleep in a tree outside the fox's home and when he had woken up, Kurama hadn't come home. He had even gone to the human school, but there was no one there. Kurama had made no mention of going anywhere. Hiei had checked Genkai's temple, but the old woman had merely cocked an eyebrow at him, smiled and said, "So you're the "friend"?"

"Hn." he muttered, but something bothered him about the way the woman had looked at him. There was that smart-ass half-smile, sure, but she had been surprised to have seen him, and the look behind the smile and old eyes, was, strangely, pity.

Why pity?

"Idiot human." Hiei whispered under his breath now.

He had been searching for Kurama since sunset. He looked up at the stars. It was after midnight now.

He wanted the fox. It was a thought like a low drum in his mind. He wanted to see Kurama. He wanted to touch him. He wanted to bring his mouth to Kurama's. He wanted him.

Hiei sighed and his eyes slid shut. He could taste the fox in his mouth. He could hear his own desire on the air. It was a song he had grown used to over the past months. Youko blood was indeed amazing stuff, but it wasn't just the blood, was it?

But lately, Kurama had been acting strangely on-edge.

Hiei remembered the look on his face the night before when Hiei had taken Kurama's hands off of his eyes. Those green eyes were haunted. Why haunted? For a moment, Hiei had thought he had overstayed his welcome, for a moment, he truly thought the fox would push him away again, and when he hadn't, it only confused him more.

He laughed. He had been around the fox too much lately. He was thinking too much.

In the end, there was little to think about.

"Kurama..." Hiei whispered as a spell of dizziness caught him unawares.

Slowly, his eyes closed and he slumped forward.

Far below, a pair of green eyes watched, widened and turned away.

_...to be continued..._


	10. Chapter 10

The crowd was moving around Kurama.

He was sure they were bothered he was standing so still.

A kid passing by craned his head up as though trying to catch a peek of what was holding the fox's attention so. But of course, the little human had no way of knowing, no way of seeing what Kurama saw.

When Hiei had slumped forward, Kurama had turned away, closing his eyes. Even now he had thought maybe it wasn't that serious. He had thought that even had the jagan not worked, Hiei would be fine.

The snow was falling again.

Light and clean it fell on Kurama's upturned face and melted cold against his skin.

It was the only way.

In his pocket, his hand curled around a small, white flower.

He had used a variation on this plant once before. Ironic. That was when he had first met Hiei. Then there had been a girl who had seen him for what he really was. She had had a crush on him. Maybe more. He had made her forget. He would make Hiei forget.

_"Koenma." Kurama had said and the ruler had frowned. "After this, I ask that I no longer be a part of the spirit detective team."_

_"Kurama...." Koenma had stuttered. "You can't be serious!"_

_"Do you know another way to save him?"_

_"No." _

_"Then I am."_

Kurama didn't know what Koenma would do with him after this. Yusuke was his parole, his "community service". What would be his new assignment...would there be one? He shook his head.

It didn't matter.

What came after this, he wouldn't think of. He had thought enough.

It just didn't matter.

_...to be continued..._


	11. Chapter 11

When Hiei came to, he noticed two things very quickly.

One: he was no longer on the sky-scrapper.

Two: someone was crouched over him, kissing him.

Hiei opened his eyes, recognizing the scent. "Kurama." Hiei breathed.

Kurama didn't answer and the lips on his didn't stop. One of Kurama's hands was on his forehead, pressing against the seal that hid his jagan.

"Kurama!" Hiei said again as Kurama pressed his thumb into the eye, sending a shock of pain ricocheting through Hiei's head. He batted Kurama's hand aside and rolled the fox until it was Hiei holding him down. "What the hell are you doing, Kurama?" he growled.

There was that strange silence again. Kurama was just looking up at him. His lips were swollen.

His eyes were red.

"What's wrong with you?" Hiei demanded and when Kurama didn't answer again, he sighed and stood. "Whatever." Hiei was walking away. He was disoriented and was trying not to let it show. He didn't know where they were. All he saw were trees and only slowly, as he walked further did he realize where they were.

He had been there last not that long ago.

Just over the trees he could see the bureau of the dead.

This was the place where Kurama had taken him that time. The place he had first unsealed Hiei's jagan.

"What..." Hiei began and was cut off.

"We're just outside the castle." Kurama said as he approached Hiei from behind. The fire demon turned to him.

What was wrong with the fox? Why was he looking at Hiei like that?

Hiei regarded Kurama for a full minute and when the fox offered no further explanations, Hiei said, "Hn.", turned again and began to walk out of the clearing.

Only, he couldn't.

Something stopped him. It was invisible, but when he held out his hand and touched it, it felt warm. From behind him, Kurama explained, "It's a kekai, Koenma put it up as a favour to me."

"What is going on Kurama?" Hiei demanded, his hands curling into fists. Whatever was going through the fox's head, Hiei did not liked to be trapped. Especially when he couldn't use his third eye.

Kurama continued as though he hadn't noticed Hiei's outburst. He took a step forward and Hiei took a step back. He didn't like the look on Kurama's face. "I explained that if I were to do this, it would be better if you couldn't leave too soon. You're very fast, Hiei. I don't think I could keep up with you, even now."

"Kurama..." Hiei growled and pulled his sword from its sheath. The sound of metal was loud within the keikai. "Tell me what is going on. Now." The sword held the threat of disobeying the command.

Kurama's face was careful, like something that had been carefully placed back together, but having no glue, threatening to fall apart again at any time. "Yukina has been kidnapped." he said.

"What!?" Hiei roared, then turned to the keikai. "Let me out of here, Kurama!" He slashed at the barrier.

"Why?" Kurama said quietly and Hiei paused.

"You know why." Hiei said. His heart was pounding. _Yukina_...

"She is alive, Hiei. If I let you go, however, you will not be for much longer."

Hiei rounded on the fox, flitting to him until the steel of the blade lay against his throat. "Is that a threat, fox?" he whispered.

Of all the things Kurama could do, smiling was not what Hiei expected. "I don't need to threaten you, Hiei." he said and reached into his pocket.

"What is that?"

"Just a flower."

"With you it is never 'just a flower'."

Kurama just laughed.

_...to be continued..._


	12. Chapter 12

"Shuiichi?" Shiori Minamino called and hung her keys up. "Shuiichi? Tadaima!"

There was no answer.

"Where could he be at this hour?" she asked herself, suddenly feeling worried.

There was no note and his bookbag was still in his room when she went upstairs to see if he were sleeping early.

"Shuiichi?" she called again.

"Shuiichi?" the empty house echoed back.

Shiori stood in the frame of her only son's room and stared out at the full moon visible through the window. Her hands were suddenly cold. Perhaps it was mother's intuition. She knew something was wrong.

"Shuichi...."

_...to be continued..._


	13. Chapter 13

At least Hiei had lowered his sword.

The forest around them leaned in close and Hiei wasn't sure if it wanted a better view or if Kurama was calling to it. As for the fox himself, he seemed oblivious to everything.

"Who has taken her?" he asked.

"A human." Kurama said.

Hiei's bared his teeth.

"You had no idea, did you?" Kurama said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

Kurama was drifting closer. His hand touched Hiei's forehead and Hiei pulled away. "Your jagan is useless now, isn't it?"

"And if it were?"

Kurama paused, his eyes widened and then, incredibly, he threw back his head and started to laugh. "Haven't you figured it out, Hiei?"

"What, fox?"

Kurama's careful face tightened. "No. I suppose you haven't."

"Fox, if you don't start talk...."

Hiei never finished his perfectly dangerous threat.

There was a good reason for that.

At that moment, Kurama had suddenly cried out. "Rose whip!" Hiei watched, shocked, as Kurama snapped the whip back and sent it crashing down towards him.

Hiei jumped at the last second and the whip slammed against the kekai.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hiei yelled.

Kurama was standing too still. He was breathing too hard. "What I should have done a long time ago." he said.

Hiei's face grew livid, his eyes narrowed, and then, as Kurama readied for another attack, the eyes widened, the mouth opened. "Kurama..." Hiei whispered and sounded not dangerous, not outraged, only terribly surprised. Vulnerable.

The whip struck much closer that second time. Hiei dodged it only on instinct.

"Traitor." Hiei said, but it was a soft curse.

Kurama stared at him as he came to a halt a few feet away and stared up at him. Kurama's own mind was reeling. He had thought of confessing to Hiei, but he doubted the demon would have agreed to the solution. He doubted that he would have believed Kurama. He would have been stubborn to the death and Kurama could not have stood that. Why? Why? Why?

Because Kurama....to him Hiei was....

The third time Kurama lashed out with the whip, it caught Hiei in the shoulder.

The fire demon screamed and grabbed his arm, going to his knees, blood oozing between his fingers.

"Hiei?" Kurama said as he stood over him. The Jiganshi had his head down.

"Kurama...." he heard. The voice was low, angry, amazed. "Kurama!" Suddenly Hiei rose and in the same move he had pulled out his sword.

He raised it above his head and notice that Kurama wasn't backing away.

He was just standing there, like he was waiting.

What was going on? Why had Kurama done this? He should never have trusted the fox. He should never have stayed with such a deceitful creature. He should not have fallen for....He should not have....

The sword caught Kurama full in the chest.

A terrible sound, wet and cracking, resounded in the kekai. The trees shivered. Kurama groaned.

"Hiei..." he said and Hiei felt the fox's hand on his face.

"Traitor." Hiei managed. His eyes were hot. He hated them. He hated Kurama. He hated...

Kurama's hand brought his face upward until he was peering straight into Kurama's face.

"I'm sorry, Hiei." Kurama said and suddenly fell onto his knees.

Hiei never answered.

He was shaking.

He was disconcerted in a way he never would have believed he could be.

"Kurama..." he whispered.

Kurama never answered. He was reaching for a tiny flower that had fallen to the ground some time ago. A tiny, white flower, such a delicate, harmless thing.

_....to be continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

What had changed?

Wasn't that the question that seemed to start this whole mess?

Had he questioned things too much and was now being punished?

Kurama sank to the ground of the forest and held the flower on his palm.

What had changed?

That was easy.

Hiei had been nothing more than a teammate, maybe a friend. He had been a fellow who knew what he was in a world where Kurama kept his true nature, his true self, hidden from all, even the mother he loved more than even his own life. Hiei had even been after his own heart- a merciless theif, a cunning criminal, someone who despite their darkest efforts, still managed to try to protect someone they loved.

Now...

Sometime between the first kiss and working with Hiei along side Yusuke and Kuwabara, the Jiganshi had changed.

That's what had changed.

Hiei.

There was a softness in his eyes, in his kiss that Kurama had never seen before. Perhaps Kurama's curiosity had started this all.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

Perhaps he had been so intent of finding out if it truly were the blood in his veins that so attracted the fire demon, or...if it were simply Kurama.

Had he held a secret hope that that were the case?

He stared now across the small space separating him from Hiei, at Hiei's heaving shoulders as his breath caught in his throat. He looked exhausted. It must be a side effect of the jagan. His energy was so low already, but that wasn't what kept Kurama's eyes riveted.

The look on the Jiganshi's face was open and hurt.

That's what had changed.

"Hiei..." Kurama whispered and the demon flinched.

_Now_, his mind whispered, _it has to be now_.

Kurama slowly rose. He walked towards Hiei and was surprised when Hiei didn't try to move out of the way. Kurama closed his hand over the flower on his palm. Kurama reached out and embraced the fire demon. Kurama was on his knees and slowly Hiei himself sank to the ground.

Despite everything, Hiei was letting Kurama touch him. He was even saying Kurama's name, over and over.

What had Kurama done?

He didn't think it was the blood and it didn't matter anymore.

Soon there would be no need to question because only one of them would remember there had been a question at all.

"Hiei," Kurama began and he felt Hiei's hands on his arms. "Forgive me, Hiei."

"Hn." Hiei said, he sighed into Kurama's ear and pressed harder against him.

"It was all my fault. I was the cause of your jagan's malfunction...My blood..."

"Kurama..."

"But I will fix that now."

Kurama opened the hand that had held the flower. It was red now, blood red.

The sword-wound in Kurama's chest had stopped bleeding, but Kurama was pale.

The flower had done that. It was why he needed Hiei to have struck him.

"I should have known, Hiei. I should have realized that youko blood is poisonous. Now that I think about it, I remember knowing... I remember I knew that, but I didn't try to stop you. I couldn't stop you." He paused, Hiei was staring at him. "You will die soon unless I administer this antidote." His voice sounded so dry, academic. Inside, he felt like he wanted to scream. "It'll help you. It contains my blood and spirit energy. That will restore your strength, but...it has a side effect, one which, considering, really, is for the best. It will ensure this will never happen again." He swallowed. "You'll forget me. You'll forget about...this. If you hear my name or see me, I'll be like a phantom in your memory. You'll try hard to remember...try...but..."

"Shut up, fox." Hiei said.

"Hiei..."

"Shut up!"

Kurama went silent.

Hiei was leaning forward and he pressed his lips again Kurama's. Kurama let him.

"You're a fool." He said. "I should've killed you." He smiled and the expression and the words didn't match.

Kurama nodded.

"I won't take your 'medicine'." Hiei was saying, even as Kurama was placing the flower in his mouth. "I don't need it."

Kurama didn't bother argueing. He could have told him he did. The fact that Hiei was too tired to stop him from doing this was evidence enough. He could have told him both Genkai and Koenma had said he did. It didn't matter. He had planned for this moment.

"I'd rather do this than see you dead." he said and leaned forward, capturing Hiei's mouth with his.

The Jiganshi thrashed against him, but Kurama had called to the grasses and the trees and they held the fire demon down.

Kurama kissed him slowly, trailing kisses along his throat, his chest.

He would let this moment linger for as long as it could as it would be the last time.

At last, he came to Hiei's mouth.

"This is for the best, Hiei..."

"What do you know, fox?" Hiei said. "No plant can make me forget what I don't want to."

Kurama smiled.

_...to be continued..._


	15. Chapter 15

When Kurama came to, Koenma was standing over him.

"Finally!" Koenma said and ploped down next to him.

Kurama weakly looked from left to right. "Where's Hiei?" Kurama touched his chest. The wound was bad. It hurt when he breathed, but he would live. Hiei would live...He closed his eyes.

"I sent him out on an assignment. He's bringing a tape to Yusuke."

"A tape?" Kurama coughed. How long had he been out?

"Yes. It was all I could think of doing after he came to me and demanded to know why he was here. And at least now Yusuke can start on Yukina's case before Hiei can." From the look on Koenma's face, the thought of Hiei on the case was not pleasant.

"I see." Kurama said. It had worked after all. He should feel releaved, and he did. Hiei would be fine. He would save Yukina. He would never see Kurama again. It was for the better...and yet..."Is he..."

"He was rubbing his jagan, and I don't think it's fully recovered, but his spirit energy is higher than the last time I saw him."

"I see." Kurama pulled himself up into a sitting position. He felt weak. He truly had given Hiei a lot of his energy, probably too much and definatley more than necessary. Perhaps he had just felt guilty. Ah, but that was a lie. "Then...I should be going."

"Where?" Koenma said as Kurama rose to his feet.

"I don't know. Home for now."

"And then?"

"Wherever you decide to send me. I am no longer on Yusuke's team. It would be too confusing to Hiei..."

"Is that all?" Kurama didn't answer. "Very well. If you choose that, I can find something else for you to do. You have served Yusuke well, I guess."

"Thank you..."

"I guess I have to tell Hiei, though."

"What do you mean?"

Koenma laughed. "When he came to me, he said, "That damn fox fell asleep on me." And he was blushing!"

"Hiei was blushing?" Kurama said, but he was thinking: _he remembered who I was_?

Koenma nodded and they both stared at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.

"It was great!" Koenma chortled.

"I can imagine!" Kurama concurred.

So Hiei had remembered. It made Kurama laugh louder, but it wasn't merely what Koenma had said. That fire demon really was as stubborn as they got, wasn't he?

And that was something that simply would never change.

_...to be continued..._


	16. Epilogue

The next day Kurama skipped school.

"Minamino?" The first period teacher said. "Where's Minamino?"

The second period teacher said, "He's never absent."

The third period teacher asked, "Could it be he's sick?"

"Must be terminal." said the fourth. "He's never absent."

The seventh period teacher, having had a long day of high school student teaching and a bad danish for breakfast was more pessimistic. "He must be dead." he declared.

Why, you wonder, had Shuiichi Minamino, the perfect student let himself get his first unexcused absence ever?

That was something Hiei wanted to find out for himself.

He was going to tell Kurama that Yukina had been kidnapped, but when he got to the window and saw the fox pale and sleeping, he paused. His eyes were too wide, he knew, and what he was feeling...

Why did it feel so familiar?

THE END.

Author's End Note: Yipee! Another story! I am going to keep going. I have a vague idea where this is going. Very vague. I'll probably be writing some short vignettes (oh, fancy word) more than these long ones....at least for a little while...maybe not...well :) Please review! Tell me what you think! :) Arigatou!


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